


Edge of your sword

by Dalankar



Category: Big Bang (Band)
Genre: AU, Implied Non-Con, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-24
Updated: 2012-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-10 16:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/468284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalankar/pseuds/Dalankar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They say forever. They say always. They say life is nothing if you haven't loved. Been loved. But the world is darker than that. And sometimes love doesn't always find a way. </p><p>Only sometimes it does. Sometimes love does conquer all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Edge of your sword

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the MV for Monster by Bigbang.

They drag Jiyong outside. He is struggling to get free but the two men holding him are much bigger than him, much stronger. Youngbae sees him first and his protective instinct goes in to overdrive as he tries to twist out of the grip he's being held in.

"Ji!" he yells, "Let him go, you bastards! Leave him alone!"

He gets a fist in the stomach for his trouble. But by now the others have taken up his call. Seunghyun lurches up to his feet. His face is already bleeding. He makes it halfway to Jiyong before he's tackled down by his pursuers. He reaches out towards Jiyong, trying to crawl his way to him but one of his guards slams his head against the ground. Jiyong screams, trying to dislodge the men holding him and get to Seunghyun. 

Daesung is shouting at the men holding Jiyong and the men now roughing up Seunghyun.

"Stop it! Stop! Leave them alone!"

Seungri can barely move. He put up the strongest fight and was beaten the most. But he reaches out a hand towards Jiyong and Seunghyun.

"Please…"

The men drag Seunghyun back to the wall, his blue hair is now mostly red. They throw him at the wall and he hits the wall with a sickening thump and slides to the ground. 

"Seunghyun!" Jiyong yells, trying to get to his feet, his long hair flying across his face. The men push him back down.

"He's a pretty one, ain't he?" one of the men comments, looking down at Jiyong. He kneels down beside him and grips Jiyong's shirt to hold him in place when he tries to scramble back. 

"Prettier than most women I'd say," the man looks up at his companion, "you think the boss would mind if we had a little fun?" he asks, hand crawling under Jiyong's shirt. Jiyong tries to kick him with his legs and gets slapped in the face for his trouble. The force of the blow knocks his head back against the ground. 

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, you son of a bitch?" Youngbae yells. 

The man gets up, angry eyes fixed on Youngbae. 

"Got a dirty mouth on you, don't ya boy?" he asks, advancing on Youngbae, who to his credit stands his ground. The man grips Youngbae’s hair and knocks his head back against the wall. 

"I can fix that," he says and knees Youngbae in the abdomen. Youngbae drops to the ground wordlessly, trying to gasp for breath but failing. The man kicks him with a laugh. He's about to do it again when a blond blur knocks him away. Daesung falls to the ground with the man. They grapple for a moment before the man pulls out a gun and points it at Daesung's head. Daesung stills, eyes fixed on the gun, hardly daring to breathe. 

"Don't. Please don't hurt him," Seungri begs in the background, crying unashamedly. His pleas are joined by Jiyong's.

"You can have me. I won't fight, please don't kill him," Jiyong pleads, voice heavy with tears.

The safety of the gun is clicked off and the man grins manically.

"Man, the boss wouldn't be very happy if we came back with four instead of five," says one of the other men carefully. 

The man with the gun growls and backhands Daesung with the gun. He curls up on his side with a sob as the man gets up and looks around at them all.

"If any of you say one word, I will blow one of your damned heads off!" he yells. 

\---

They're bundled in to a truck for delivery. Daesung cradles Seungri in his arms, face buried in Seungri's hair as he tries to ignore the pain of his broken nose. Seungri's eyes are closed but he flinches every time the truck goes over a bump on the road. Jiyong has gathered Seunghyun against his chest and is leaning back against Youngbae who is gripping one of Jiyong's hands hard enough to be painful. But he won't let go. Whatever is coming, he knows they'll be alright if they're together. 

\---

"Train them," the leader says, looking over them all. The eyes come to rest on Jiyong.

"Except him," he looks at Jiyong, "I'll train him personally." 

Seunghyun grips Jiyong's hand as they are about to be separated. Jiyong's eyes are wide with fear. Seunghyun touches Jiyong's face with a gentle hand.

"Remember," he kisses him on the lips, "Remember this." 

Then Jiyong is pulled away. 

"Jiyong!" Youngbae yells and Jiyong tries to pull away from the men dragging him after his master. He manages to turn his head and take one last look at his friends. 

Seungri is already being herded away by his trainer but he looks back at them all in a final farewell. 

There are tears on Daesung's face. Seungri reaches out for him and the devastation on Daesung's face as Seungri disappears from sight is nothing Jiyong has ever seen on his friend’s face.

Youngbae is angry and frustrated at not being able to fight. Jiyong feels his fear multiply. If Youngbae is afraid then this is so much worse than he thought. 

Seunghyun is standing still, watching him. His blue hair red from blood, his eyes are fixed on Jiyong. 

And then Jiyong turns a corner and he's alone. 

\---

"I told you there would be consequences if you disobeyed me."

Jiyong stays silent. His hands are bound at the wrists above his head and the metal manacles are already starting to chafe his skin. The air is cool against his naked skin and he knows it will get much colder still. But the cold is the least of his problems.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," the master runs a gentle hand down Jiyong's face, eyes searching for obedience. He shakes his head when Jiyong doesn't give and steps back.

"This will damage you but I must have your total obedience in all things," the master says and gives one last look at Jiyong and leaves. 

Then _he_ comes in. The man from that first day. The one who's been hanging at the shadows for months, waiting for his chance. He grins, loosening out the whip in his hands. 

"Hello, little whore. I'm going to enjoy this."

 _Remember this_ , Seunghyun had said. He bites his lip and doesn’t scream when the whip slashes across his back. 

\---

Seunghyun grits his teeth and tries not to scream. He will not give them the satisfaction. Just when he feels like he's about to die, the pain stops.

"Do you give in?"

He knows what awaits him if he says no. He knows he will eventually go insane with the pain. It's been days now. Barely any sleep or food. Always the pain. Always the same question.

He shakes his head, "No."

He tries to remember Jiyong, tries to leave the pain but it's been days since he last remembered Ji's face. The pain hits. He throws his head back and screams. 

\---

The sword is light in his hand. SOL moves through the room, flowing through the movements he's learnt. His master watches him. SOL hopes he's pleased. He hopes he can make up for the way he behaved when he first arrived. He hadn't realised importance of what they were doing. He'd been so angry and selfish. But he knows better now. He knows who he is. 

\---

Every bullet finds its mark. VI allows himself a tiny smirk. He turns away as the bodies fall and the blood begins to flow. He hope it'll be cleaned up before it starts to smell. But then he doesn't live here so he doesn't really care. 

"It's done," he says and even if there's no one around he knows he's been heard. 

\---

Daesung looks at himself in the mirror. He doesn't cry any more. He's used up all his tears. He can see what is coming. He knows what he will become. And he knows there is nothing he can do to change it. They will turn him in to a weapon. A monster. Everything that he is will be stripped away. He farewells his friends silently in his mind. He hopes they make it through. 

\---

TOP kneels and knows his master is smiling. 

"I am here to serve," he says quietly.

His master chuckles and pulls on the chain that runs from his wrist to the collar around TOP’s neck. TOP looks up at him. His master _is_ smiling. 

"I have taught you well."

\---

The blood flies through the air as he flicks his sword through the air. He steps back from the blood that is pooling on the ground. He can hear the guards whispering in the background. He slides the sword in to the sheath on his back and tilts his head up at the opaque glass windows on the second floor. He can imagine his master’s face. No expression but the glint in his eyes that says he's satisfied. The guards come forward to remove the bodies and G-Dragon walks out of the room without a backwards glance. 

\---

"Do you know each other?"

TOP looks at the newcomer. A memory of running, of hair flowing in the wind and laughter is gone as soon as it arrives.

"No," he answers the same time as the stranger with the blond hair. 

Their masters are pleased.

"Good," his master says, "Kill him."

"Your boy has to be very good to kill my Dragon," says the other master.

"Oh but he is." 

TOP feels a burst of happiness. He will not lose this fight and bring shame on his master. 

His guns are out of their holsters in a heartbeat. And the Dragon draws his sword from the sheath at his back. They face each other across the room. 

_Don't let me be afraid. You'll be there, won't you? ___

He shoots and the Dragon spins away from the bullets. TOP smirks. So he's fast. He shoots again and the Dragon dances around the bullets.

_I'll fly around you._

TOP shakes his head to clear it. He had no life before this. He loves no one but his master. 

The Dragon takes the chance to come at him, the sword a sliver streak of light as it moves. TOP steps smoothly out of the way. 

_Remember. ___

The Dragon comes again and TOP finds himself cornered with a blade pressing against his throat. He grins and presses his gun closer to the Dragon's heart. 

_Remember this. ___

TOP blinks. He can feel the Dragon shaking. 

"Remember this," Jiyong whispers. Seunghyun meets his eyes. It has been a long time since he's heard that voice.

"I remember."

They hear their masters clapping and pull away from each other. 

"Well done," they say but Seunghyun can see the disappointment in his master's eyes and knows he'll pay for this failure later. But it doesn't matter. He remembers now. He shares a glance with Jiyong who slides his sword across his master's throat in a flash of silver and red. TOP holds his gun to his master's head.

"Stop. Remember who you belong to," his master says, only a slight tremor to his voice. 

"Not you," he says and pulls the trigger. 

He turns around and Jiyong is looking at him.

"Seunghyun," Jiyong says so quietly that Seunghyun almost doesn't hear him. It's been a long time since he's heard his name. 

"Jiyong," he whispers and doesn't understand how he could have forgotten Jiyong's face. He knows this face better than any other.

"We have to get the others," Jiyong says and Seunghyun nods. They run for the door together. 

\---

They walk past each other in the wide corridor, both following their masters in opposite directions. D-Lite stops first. He lowers his head and tries to understand the sense of déjà vu he'd just felt.  
VI halts also, tilting his head at the memory of someone laughing, of someone taking his hand running down a brightly lit road.  
They turn around and face each other. Their masters realise their charges are not following.

"What is this?" They ask, "Why have you stopped?"

Daesung ignores them both, hearing laughter echoing in his head, seeing large brown eyes filled with mischief. A face he'd never thought he'd forget in a thousand years. And he hasn't. 

"Seungri…" he whispers.

Seungri closes his eyes. He knows that voice. He knows that face. 

"Daesung," he says and lifts his head. 

"Enough," Their masters command.

They walk towards each other and when Daesung lifts a hand to touch his face, fingers tracing over the almost invisible scars that run across his face, Seungri leans in to the touch.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," Daesung says softly and kisses him. Seungri laughs in to the kiss.

"I always knew," Seungri says with a small smile. 

"You will be punished severely for this!"

Seungri whips out his gun and shoots their masters without looking away from Daesung. Then the alarm sounds and they hear guards shouting. 

Daesung grins.

"Ready to run?" he asks.

Seungri grins back, guns in both hands now.

"You bet!"

\---

SOL draws his sword when they enter his room. Jiyong takes a step forward while Seunghyun hangs back, ready to step in if needed but content to let Jiyong handle this. 

"Youngbae," Jiyong says quietly. SOL grips the sword tightly in his hands, knuckles white, and stares at Jiyong.

"Who…?"

Jiyong takes another step forward.

"Don't take another step," SOL warns.

Jiyong holds his eyes and takes another step forward.

"You won't hurt me," Jiyong says and SOL backs up against the wall, "I know you won't."

"You don't know me. You don't know what I am."

"I know who you are. I've always known you. Youngbae," Jiyong takes another step forward and Youngbae lets the sword fall from shaking hands. 

Youngbae holds on to Jiyong as though he'd never let go. Jiyong stands still in his arms and tries to breathe. He fights down the fear and the sense of suffocation as Youngbae pulls back, hands on Jiyong's shoulders and a frown on his face. 

"Ji?" 

Jiyong shakes his head, stepping out of Youngbae’s arms. 

"I'm sorry," Jiyong whispers, ashamed that he's hurt his friend. 

Youngbae smiles sadly, eyes flickering to Seunghyun momentarily and back.

"It's okay. We'll be okay."

\---

They run towards the sound of gunfire and finds Seungri and Daesung running towards them. Daesung's twin swords are dripping with blood and Seungri has guns in both hands. 

They come to a stop in the middle of the corridor stare at each other, breathless. 

"Hey guys," Seunghyun says and the spell is broken. Seungri flies in to him and Youngbae is enfolded by Daesung, who hastily puts his swords out of the way.

"Ji?" Daesung says, lifting his head from Youngbae’s shoulder.

"Hey," Jiyong says softly. 

Then they hear voices coming down the corridor.

"Let's get out of here," Seungri says.

They run. 

\---

"I like the hat man, but that cape has to go!" Seungri says from the backseat. Seunghyun meets his eyes briefly in the rear view mirror with a smirk.

"At least I don't look like Spock!" he retaliates, eyes back on the road. This gets a laugh from everyone but Jiyong. The blond haired boy sitting in the front passenger seat has his eyes fixed out the window. 

"If we're talking about hair, I think we should talk about Ji's," Youngbae says, leaning slightly forward in his seat. 

For a moment there is no response from Jiyong, he doesn't appear to have heard. But then he says in a quiet voice, "You have absolutely no ground to stand on, Youngbae, not with that bird's nest on your head."

Seunghyun looks over and finds a small smile playing on Jiyong's lips, although he hasn't looked away from the window. 

Youngbae meets his eyes in the mirror with a shrug, as if to say 'That's good enough for now'.

They've been driving for hours now, trying to get away from the complex. They know they'll be hunted. They're too valuable to let go without a fight. The first thing they have to do is to find a quiet place to stop and figure out what to do. One thing Seunghyun knows for sure is that they're not separating again. They've spent three years away from each other and nothing in the world would convince them to part ways now.

\---

The sight of the scars on Jiyong's back freezes him on the spot. Long, jagged white lines crisscrossing the skin that Seunghyun knew was unmarred _before._  
He must have made some noise because Jiyong whips around, picking up his sword from the side of the bed in one smooth movement and pointing it in the direction of the intruder.

Seunghyun holds up his hands in surrender, fighting down the instinct to go for his guns.

"It's me," he says softly. Jiyong watches him for a moment, breaths coming fast but hand steady on his sword. 

"You shouldn't do that," Jiyong lowers the sword, blond hair falling in to his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Seunghyun says and he means it. Jiyong nods slightly, leaning his sword against the wall next to his bed. Seunghyun stands at the doorway, watching him. He hates this. Someone had dared hurt Jiyong. He knows they were all hurt, every single one of them have their scars. But this is Jiyong. His Jiyong. He can't bear the thought of Jiyong going through that alone. If Youngbae finds about, there will be hell to pay. Except there is nothing he can do. Nothing any of them can do. Not when it leads back to a life they want to leave behind. 

"You saw the scars," Jiyong says expressionlessly. 

"Yes."

Jiyong tilts his head and sits down on the bed. 

"My punishment," Jiyong looks up at him from the bed. Seunghyun makes a decision. He steps into the room and sits down besides Jiyong. Jiyong is tense, even if Seunghyun isn't touching him at all. He slowly reaches out and touches Jiyong's hand. When Jiyong doesn't snatch it back, he threads his fingers with Jiyong's thin long ones. And they just sit there. Eventually Jiyong rests his head on Seunghyun's shoulder with a small sigh. Seunghyun kisses his hair and waits for the night to pass.

\---

Daesung lifts his head at the sound. Seungri reluctantly sits up from where he'd been lying in Daesung's lap. 

"Youngbae?" Seungri asks, looking in the direction of where Youngbae is supposed to be sleeping. Daesung nods. They get up quietly and walk over to Youngbae. They find him curled up in a corner of the room, the bed untouched. Youngbae's eyes are closed, but his eyelids flutter restlessly. They sit down either side of Youngbae, wrapping their arms around him and gathering him close. Daesung kisses the shorn side of his head.

"We're here," he whispers. 

"Haven't slept in a bed for three years," Youngbae whispers, hands curling on to Daesung's shirt, and buries his face in Daesung's shoulder. 

\---

They run. As fast as they can. As far as they can. And one day there's a man standing in the middle of their living room. Guns are drawn and swords held in tense hands, but the man holds up his hands to show that he's unarmed. There is nothing special about him except for the intense dark eyes in a pale face. 

"You're weapons. There will always be people wanting to use you. I am one of those people. Come with me and no one else will touch you. No one else will hunt you. You'll be able to live the normal lives you've always wanted," he promises in a quiet voice, looking around them all. Seungri is pointing one gun at the stranger and lightly tapping the other against his leg.

"And all you want in return is our absolute obedience? I'm sorry but we've been through that before. Didn't work out very well," Youngbae says, taking the lead while Jiyong watches from the doorway.

"All I want is for you to come when I call. That is all. You won't get a better deal from anyone else, I can promise you," the man says, his eyes travelling between Youngbae and Jiyong. 

"What exactly do you want us to do for you?" Seunghyun asks from his place beside the window.

"Things that should not be done in the light of day, or so to speak. Protecting your country and your people."

"Our country fucked us over. What makes you think we want to protect it?" Seungri asks angrily before Youngbae could reply. 

"One must do what must be done. Our enemies are always threatening. You were created to protect this country," the quiet words are belied by the intensity of the man’s eyes. 

The look around at each other. 

"We need some time-" Youngbae starts to say but Seungri cuts in.

"What?" he asks, shocked.

"-time to think this over," Youngbae finishes, unperturbed by Seungri's outburst. 

"I will give you a week, and a warning. I am not the only one chasing you. Beware."

\---

"What do you mean we'll think about it?" Seungri asks angrily. 

"It means we'll think about it," Youngbae says in a curt voice. 

"What the fuck do you mean we'll think about it? These people they're all the same! Before you know it they'll have us chained up and separated!" Seungri yells and Daesung puts a calming hand on his shoulder. 

"I don't think he was lying," Youngbae says quietly, calm where Seungri is raging.

"You don't think? You want to stake our lives on 'think'?"

Seunghyun takes a step closer to Youngbae as he straightens up to his full height.

"What do you want to do, Seungri? Run forever? Because you know they'll chase us forever too! This guy, he's giving us a chance to stop running. To live a normal life. Isn't that what you want?" Youngbae yells back.

"We can't live normal lives," Jiyong says softly and they all turn to him, surprised that he had spoken. 

"We're not normal," Jiyong continues, looking at them all, "even if we go back in to the real world, we'll never be the same."

"What do you want to do, Jiyong?" Seunghyun asks. 

\---

It feels as though time freezes. When the barrel of Seungri's gun touch Youngbae’s forehead. Daesung stills in his attempt to separate his two friends. Jiyong, hand fisted in Youngbae’s jacket and Seunghyun, always beside Jiyong, always ready to step in between Jiyong and the world, steps in between Jiyong and Seungri. The moment lasts. Youngbae holds Seungri's burning eyes unflinchingly. Seungri's fingers tighten on his gun and for a moment Youngbae feels real fear, maybe the point he’s trying to make is not worth his life. But then Seungri's eyes fill with horror and he stumbles back. He hits the wall behind him and Daesung follows him in, not touching him but staying close. Seungri is gasping for breath, rubbing shaky hands across his eyes. Youngbae takes a deep breath as Jiyong steps infront of him, a hand keeping purchase on Youngbae while watching Seungri fall apart.

"I'm sorry," Seungri gasps, hands coming up to cover his face as he slides down to the floor, "oh god! I'm sorry."

Daesung kneels down next to him, a tentative hand on Seungri's shoulder. Seungri grasps at him blindly, pulling Daesung in and burying his face in Daesung's chest. Daesung wraps both arms around him as Seungri shakes and cries, he looks up at the others briefly, his own face tear stained as he holds Seungri in his arms. Jiyong leans down next to them, wrapping his arms around his two friends.

"It's okay," he whispers, "It's okay."

Seunghyun follows, kissing Seungri's hair and holding him close. Youngbae joins them last. Putting his arms around Daesung and Jiyong and leaning his head against Seungri. He exhales, closing his eyes. Whatever happens, they are in this together.

\---

Jiyong sits down beside Seungri, who has his knees drawn up his chest, watching the sun slowly settle closer to the horizon. Jiyong doesn't say anything. He sits there, close to Seungri but not touching him, waiting.

Seungri lifts his head to look at him after a while.

"I don't think I can find myself again. I'll forget who I am. I'll forget everyone, forget Daesung. I don't want that to happen."

"You won't," Jiyong says softly, "we won't let that happen."

Seungri looks away, his jaw clenched. 

"You can promise me that?" Seungri asks in a small voice. 

"We only have each other. I doubt Daesung will ever let you out of his sight again," Jiyong says with a small smile. Seungri huffs out a laugh. Jiyong reaches out and touches Seungri's face with gentle fingers. He traces over the almost invisible scars and Seungri closes his eyes with a sigh.

"I'm sorry," Jiyong whispers and Seungri's eyes open in surprise.

"For what?"

Jiyong pulls his hand away but Seungri catches it and holds on.

"I couldn't protect you," Jiyong ducks his head, "I should have been able to keep you all safe."

"It wasn't your fault," Seungri threads their fingers together, "None of us could do anything."

"You know what's worse?" Jiyong asks, watching their hands, "That by the end I didn't care. I didn't care about anyone. I forgot that I loved you."

"Ji," Seungri starts gently, "We all forgot. They made sure there was nothing else in our lives but blood. We're damn lucky we found each other when we did." 

"Don't curse," Jiyong says automatically and looks up and blinks in surprise. Seungri laughs.

"Yes, sir."

\---

Seunghyun watches them from the window. He turns away when Jiyong reaches out a hand to touch Seungri's face. Jiyong has barely touched anyone all these weeks of running. Infact Seunghyun knows this is the first time he had touched anyone voluntarily. He's glad. The knot of fear in his gut, that has been there since they found each other again, the one that told him Jiyong was broken, loosens a little. Youngbae shakes his head at him.

"You shouldn't worry so much about him," he says, "You know he hates it."

Seunghyun raises an eyebrow.

"Doesn't stop you though." 

Youngbae laughs.

"I guess we're all going to take some time."

"Some more than others," Daesung says, from his place at the window.

"He's going to be fine, Dae. Don't worry so much," Youngbae says. There is so much confidence in his voice that Seunghyun finds himself believing him wholeheartedly. But Daesung only looks mildly reassured. 

"He's the youngest. It's harder for him to get back to who he is."

Seunghyun walks over to Daesung who looks away from the two outside to look up at him. Seunghyun squeezes his shoulder.

"We're here now. I think we can find our way together."

\---

“Hello, little whore. Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?”

Jiyong holds his sword in a white knuckled grip. He hears gunfire from the first floor. He knows Youngbae, Seungri and Daesung are there. Seunghyun is on this floor but he doesn’t know how many men they have to deal with. 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Jiyong says.

The man grins.

“No? Don’t you remember what I can do to you?” the man casually takes the safety off the gun, “ I can make you beg. I can make you scream.”

Jiyong stares transfixed at the gun pointed at him. 

_Please._

_Please. ___

The man shoots. Jiyong moves too late. Seunghyun crashes in to the man from the side, sending his gun flying. 

“Ji?” There is real fear in Seunghyun’s voice as he points the gun at the man at his feet. 

“I’m okay,” Jiyong says, leaning back against the wall behind him.

The man laughs.

Seunghyun points his gun at the man's head and Jiyong is there beside him in a heartbeat. He must be the one to finish this. 

"Are you really going to kill me little whore? Should I tell your boyfriend about how I had you under me, begging for my-" Jiyong feels his sword tear though flesh and in to the man's heart. He watches the blood splutter from the man's mouth as he dies.

Jiyong can feel his chest burning. He looks down and there is a small circular hole in his chest, above his heart.

"Oh," he makes a soft, startled sound. 

He falls.

Seunghyun catches him but he doesn't remember it. 

\---

Everything stops when they hear Seunghyun scream, like he is being torn apart. It doesn’t matter that he man who made the offer, with his impeccable suit and intense eyes, had come through the door with a small army just in time to save them from getting shot to bits. Seunghyun screams and Youngbae doesn’t even have to think why. He knows. There is only one thing in the world that can make Seunghyun sound like that. 

He finds himself running up the stairs with Daesung and Seungri right behind him. The first thing that registers is the blood. There is a large smear on the wall and a pool of blood spreading on the floor. Jiyong’s sword is buried in a dead man’s chest in the center of the room. And next to him, Seunghyun’s cradling the still form of Jiyong in his arms. Youngbae’s world shatters. Without Jiyong there is nothing for him. Nothing to fight for. To live for. He can hear Seungri crying in the background as he falls to his knees besides Jiyong. 

Seunghyun looks up at him.

“He’s still breathing,” he says in a voice cracked by grief. 

Youngbae blinks, unable to process the information. But then it hits. Jiyong’s chest is rising and falling with irregular breaths. The bullet hole is too high up to have hit his heart. Youngbae turns around. He’s never made an easier decision.

“Save him and we’ll be yours.”

The intense eyes hold his’ before the man nods and Youngbae turns back to Jiyong and doesn’t think about fate.

\--- 

Jiyong snaps awake. He sits up in bed, heart beating fast in his chest with the last dregs of the nightmare already fading from his mind. His hands automatically move to the half healed bullet wound above his heart. He smiles to himself as Seunghyun murmurs in his sleep. He runs his fingers through the blue hair. He remembers when he first woke up after getting shot, his first sight had been Seunghyun’s blue hair. It has been three months now and he still hasn’t gotten used to waking up with someone else. He takes a deep breath and leans his head back against the wall. It feels like a clean break now. Like he can finally move on. And their new boss isn’t so bad. Anyone that can take Seungri’s outbursts in stride has Jiyong’s respect. Youngbae shifts in his sleep, a hand coming to curl against Jiyong’s leg. Jiyong touches Youngbae’s face gently. It’s become a habit now, for them to sleep together when an assignment was coming up. The first time it happened was because Youngbae still wasn’t comfortable sleeping on a bed and to make sure he slept Jiyong had dragged the others with him to sleep on Youngbae’s bed. It had worked. And here they are. Daesung and Seungri are asleep next to Youngbae, with Seungri lying half on top on Daesung with his long limbs laying claim to the blond haired boy even in his sleep. 

Jiyong yawns and lies back down on the bed. Seunghyun automatically wraps an arm around him and Jiyong falls back in to sleep with a smile. 

\---

Youngbae raises his wine glass. 

"Here's to us," he says, smiling, looking around at them all, "and a new start."

Everyone raises their glasses in response.

"And to surviving the food that Ji cooked!" Seungri adds to the toast.

Jiyong throws a bunch of peas at Seungri's head in retaliation. But he's laughing. Seunghyun smiles, watching Jiyong shining so brightly now. Youngbae meets his eyes, smiling because he understands. Daesung has quietly started eating and he half-heartedly swats at Jiyong's hand as he reaches out and swipes a piece of roasted potato from his plate. 

"Get your own!"

Jiyong grins at him.

"Sharing is caring, Dae!"

He knows that even if they get to live the quiet life they all want, it will take a long time to for them to come to terms with what happened. Everything that had been done to them and everything that they have done. They're not the people they were four years ago. He doubts any of them could even go back to who they were. They've changed. He hopes maybe one day he can say it's for the better.

 

The End.


End file.
